<PAGE>

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10(u)

                              BIG LOTS STORES, INC.

                    SUPPLEMENTAL DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLAN

<PAGE>

                                 BIG LOTS, INC.

                    SUPPLEMENTAL DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLAN

                                    PREAMBLE

Effective January 1, 1996, Consolidated Stores Corporation adopted the
Consolidated Stores Corporation Supplemental Defined Benefit Pension Plan, for a
select group of highly compensated employees to ensure that the overall
retirement pension benefit said group of highly compensated employees would
receive would be equal to what the benefit would have been had the Consolidated
Stores Corporation Defined Benefit Pension Plan not been amended to freeze said
employees' accrued retirement pension benefits.

Effective January 1, 2001, the name of the Company changed to Big Lots Stores,
Inc. and effective as of such date the name of this Plan changed to the Big Lots
Stores Supplemental Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

Effective as of January 1, 2003, the Plan is again amended and restarted in its
entirety to incorporate certain administrative changes, including the Plan name
change.

This Plan is an unfunded, supplemental executive deferred compensation plan
structured to benefit such employees described above in a manner that provides
said employees full pension benefits and that provides the incentive for said
employees to improve the profitability, competitiveness and growth of Big Lots,
Inc. and its affiliates.

                                       -1-

<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE I

                                   DEFINITIONS

1.1      "Basic Retirement Plan" means the Big Lots Stores Defined Benefit
         Pension Plan, as amended and restated effective as of January 1, 1997,
         with further amendments through January 1, 2002.

1.2      "Basic Retirement Benefit" means the annual benefit to which a
         Participant is entitled from the Basic Retirement Plan, in the form of
         a single life annuity commencing on his Retirement Date and ending on
         the first day of the month during which his death occurs. The Basic
         Retirement Plan Benefit assumes immediate commencement of benefits with
         applicable early payment reductions as may be applied under the Basic
         Retirement Pan.

1.3      "Beneficiary" means the person, persons or entity designated by the
         Participant to receive any benefits payable under the Plan.

1.4      "Change in Control" shall have the same meaning as prescribed in
         Section 5.2.

1.5      "Committee" means the three individuals serving as the Chief Executive
         Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Executive Vice President,
         Human Resources of the Company. The Committee is authorized to
         establish Plan policy and review Plan discretionary decisions pursuant
         to the terms of this Plan.

1.6      "Company" means, as of May 16, 2001, Big Lots Stores, Inc., an Ohio
         corporation. Previous to May 16, 2001, Company means Consolidated
         Stores Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

1.7      "Compensation" means remuneration in the form described in Section
         1.10(a) of the Basic Retirement Plan.

1.8      "Credited Service" means service as defined in Section 1.31(b) of the
         Basic Retirement Plan.

1.9      "Effective Date" means January 1, 2002, the effective date of this
         amended and restated Plan.

1.10     "Employer" means the Company and/or an applicable participating Related
         Company or any successor to the business thereof.

1.11     "Final Average Compensation" means the average monthly Compensation of
         a Participant as defined in Section 1.10(b) of the Basic Retirement
         Plan.

1.12     "Participant" means any individual who is eligible to participate in
         this Plan pursuant to Article II of this Plan.

                                       -2-

<PAGE>

1.13     "Plan" means the Consolidated Stores Supplemental Defined Benefit
         Pension Plan, the terms of which are set forth herein, as it may be
         amended from time to time. Effective May 16, 2001, Plan means the Big
         Lots Stores Supplemental Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

1.14     "Plan Administrator" means the Company, notwithstanding the fact that
         certain administrative functions under or with respect to this Plan
         have been delegated to the Committee pursuant to the provisions of
         Article VII of this Plan.

1.15     "Related Company" means:

         (a) any corporation included within a `controlled group of corporation"
             of which the Company is a member, as determined under Code Section
             414(b) and (m) and Regulations issued pursuant thereto (except
             that, with respect to the benefit limitation under Section 1 of
             Schedule II of the Basic Retirement Plan, such determination will
             be made after substituting the phrase "more than fifty percent
             (50%)" for the phrase "at least eighty percent (80%)" each place it
             appears in Code Section 1563(a)(1)); and any partnership, sole
             proprietorship, trust, estate, or corporation included within

                  i.       a parent-subsidiary group of trades of businesses
                           under common control,

                  ii.      a brother-sister group of trades or businesses under
                           common control, or

                  iii.     a combined group of trades or businesses under common
                           control, as determined under Code Section 414(c) and
                           Regulations issued pursuant thereto.

         (b) any other entity designated as a Related Company by the Company.

1.16     "Retirement Date" means that date a Participant is otherwise eligible
         to retire under the terms of the Basic Retirement Plan

1.17     "Supplemental Retirement Benefit" or "Supplement Benefit" means the
         annual benefit payable in accordance with the terms of this Plan.

                                       -3-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE II

                                  PARTICIPATION

2.1      An Employee of the Employer who is a participant in the Basic
         Retirement Plan shall be eligible to participate in this Plan provided
         the following conditions have been met:

         (a) the Employee was an active participant in the Basic Retirement Plan
             on December 31, 1996; and

         (b) the Employee was a `highly compensated employee' on December 31,
             1996, as that term is defined in Code Section 414(q) as of December
             31, 1996.

2.2      An existing Employee of the Employer who was not a `highly compensated
         employee' on December 31, 1995, who subsequently becomes a `highly
         compensated employee' (as that term is defined in Code Section 414(q)
         for the Plan Year in which the determination is made) shall become a
         Participant in this Plan.

2.3      Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, any
         other Employee of the Employer who is hired after March 31, 1994 or who
         is rehired after his prior service has been forfeited under Section
         3.4(c) of the Basic Retirement Plan, and who, as a result, is not
         eligible to become a participant in the Basic Retirement Plan shall be
         not eligible to participate in this Plan.

                                       -4-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE III

                     ELIGIBILITY FOR AND AMOUNT OF BENEFITS

3.1      Each Participant who is eligible to retire under the terms of the Basic
         Retirement Plan and who has met the eligibility requirements of this
         Plan pursuant to Article II shall be entitled to receive a monthly
         Supplemental Pension, in the normal form of payment, as described in
         Section 7.1 of the Basic Retirement Plan, in an amount equal to:

               (a) one percent (1%) of a Participant's Final Average
                   Compensation multiplied by the Participant's Credited Service
                   (not to exceed 25 years) minus

               (b) the greater of (1) or (2) below where:

                        (1) is the accrued retirement pension of the Participant
                            as determined under the Basic Retirement Plan in
                            effect as of December 31, 1995, assuming the
                            Participant terminated employment with the Company
                            on March 31, 1996 or such later date that the
                            Participant was determined to be a Highly
                            Compensated Employee under the terms of the Basic
                            Retirement Plan.

                        (2) is the accrued retirement pension of the Participant
                            as determined under Section 5.1 of the Basic
                            Retirement Plan as in effect on December 31, 1995,
                            without regard to Section 5.1(c) of the Basic
                            Retirement Plan.

3.2      An Employee who becomes a Participant in this Plan shall remain a
         Participant until his termination of employment with the Company. To
         the extent a Participant is not entitled to a vested accrued retirement
         pension under the terms of the Basic Retirement Plan upon termination
         of employment with the Company other than by reason of death,
         disability, or retirement (as those terms are described and used in the
         Basic Retirement Plan), neither the Participant nor any Beneficiary nor
         any other person shall have a right to any benefit from this Plan with
         respect to such Participant.

                                       -5-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE IV

                        FORM AND COMMENCEMENT OF BENEFITS

4.1      Supplemental Plan Benefits payable to a Participant or Beneficiary
         pursuant to Article III shall be payable in the same form and manner as
         is applicable to the Basic Retirement Plan Benefit payable to the
         Participant or Beneficiary under the Basic Retirement Plan. If a Basic
         Retirement Plan Benefit is payable as described in Section 7.1 of the
         Basic Retirement Plan, then his Supplemental Plan Benefit shall be
         subject to adjustment by the same reduction factors as are applicable
         under the Basic Retirement Plan with respect to the Basic Retirement
         Plan Benefit of the Participant.

4.2      A Supplemental Plan Benefit payable to a Participant or Beneficiary
         pursuant to this Plan shall commence on the same date as benefits
         commence to the Participant or Beneficiary pursuant to the terms of the
         Basic Retirement Plan.

4.3      The death benefit payable to the Beneficiary(ies) of a deceased
         eligible Participant shall be either (a) or (b) below, minus (c) below:

               (a) a lump sum amount equal to the actuarial equivalent (as that
                   term is defined in Section 1.1 of the Basic Retirement Plan
                   as of the date of the Participant's death) of the
                   Participant's accrued Supplemental Plan Benefit, reduced for
                   early payment as described in Section 5.2 of the Basic
                   Retirement Plan, and computed on the assumption that the
                   Participant had separated from employment with the Company on
                   his date of death, survived to the earliest retirement age
                   under the Plan and died on the day after that earliest
                   retirement age; or

               (b) a monthly life annuity that is the survivorship portion of
                   the qualified joint and survivor annuity as defined in
                   Section 7.2 of the Basic Retirement Plan, assuming that the
                   Participant had separated from employment with the Company on
                   his date of death, survived to the earliest retirement age
                   under the Plan and died on the day after that earliest
                   retirement age;

               (c) the death benefit determined and payable pursuant to Section
                   6.1 of the Basic Retirement Plan.

4.4      The designation of Beneficiary(ies) and the manner of payment shall be
         as described in Article VI of the Basic Retirement Plan.

                                       -6-

<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE V

                            AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

5.1      The Company intends the Plan to be permanent but reserves the right to
         amend or terminate the Plan when, in it sole discretion, such amendment
         or termination is advisable. Any such amendment or termination shall be
         made pursuant to a resolution of the board of directors of the Company
         and shall be effective as of the date of such resolution. No amendment
         or termination of the Plan shall directly or indirectly deprive any
         Participant or Beneficiary of any portion of any Supplemental Plan
         Benefit payment that has commenced prior to the effective date of the
         resolution amending or terminating the Plan.

5.2      In the event of Change in Control of the Company, the Committee may
         effect immediate lump sum payment of the accrued Supplemental Plan
         Benefit to applicable Participants. For purposes of this Section 5.2,
         "Change in Control" means:

               (a) any person or group (as defined in Section 13(d) of the
                   Securities Exchange Act of 1934) other than the Company or
                   its affiliates becomes the beneficial owner of, or has the
                   right to acquire (by contract, warrant, option, conversion of
                   convertible securities or otherwise), twenty percent (20%) or
                   more of the outstanding equity securities of Big Lots Stores,
                   Inc, an Ohio corporation, entitled to vote for the election
                   of directors;

               (b) a majority of the board of directors of the Company is
                   replace within any period of two years or less by directors
                   not approved by a majority of the directors of the Company in
                   office at the beginning of such period (or their successors
                   so approved), or a majority of the board of directors of the
                   Company at any date consists of persons not so approved; or

               (c) the stockholders of the Company approve an agreement to merge
                   or consolidate the Company with another corporation other
                   than the Company or an affiliate thereof or an agreement to
                   sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the
                   Company's assets to an entity other than the Company or an
                   affiliate thereof.

                                       -7-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VI

                                   COMMITTEE

6.1      The Committee of this Plan, which shall be the same committee that
         administers the Big Lots Stores, Inc. Defined Benefit Pension Plan,
         shall administer this Plan in accordance with the intention of the
         board of directors of the Company as expressed herein.

6.2      No Committee member at any time hereunder who is a Participant shall
         have any vote in any decision of the Committee made primarily with
         respect to such Committee member of such member's benefits hereunder.
         All actions of the Committee may be taken with or without a meeting and
         shall be in writing and signed by a majority of the members of the
         Committee.

                                       -8-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE VII

                                 ADMINISTRATION

7.1      The Committee as described in Article VI which is the same committee
         that oversees the administrative functions under the Big Lots Stores,
         Inc. Defined Benefit Pension Plan shall have the primary administrative
         responsibility with respect to this Plan. All policy and discretionary
         decisions as well as administrative decisions shall be the
         responsibility of the Committee and they shall be made in conjunction
         with and not inconsistent with the policy and administrative decisions
         made by the Committee as they relate to the Big Lots Stores, Inc.
         Defined Benefit Pension Plan. The Committee shall interpret the
         provisions of the Plan where necessary and follow procedures for the
         administration of the Plan that are consistent with the provisions of
         the Basic Retirement Plan.

7.2      Expenses incurred by the Committee and the Plan Administrator in the
         administration of the Plan, including the fees and compensation of
         suitors, actuaries, accountants, legal counsel and other counsel
         retained by the Committee to carry out the intent and purpose of this
         Plan, shall be paid by the Company and/or applicable Employer.

7.3      The Committee shall keep such records as are reasonably needed to
         effectuate the purposes of the Plan. Any forms needed to carry out the
         provisions of this Plan shall be established and maintained by the Plan
         Administrator.

7.4      All determinations made by the Committee regarding the purpose and
         intent of this Plan as well as the benefits payable under this Plan,
         eligibility to participate, etc., shall be made in the sole and
         absolute discretion of the Committee. Such decisions shall be binding
         on all Participants, Beneficiaries, successors, assigns, executors,
         administrators, heirs, next-of-kin, and distributes of all the
         foregoing.

7.5      Except as provided by law, no benefit, payment or distribution under
         this Plan shall be subject either to the claim of any creditor of a
         Participant or Beneficiary, or to attachment, garnishment, levy,
         execution or other legal or equitable process, by any creditor of such
         Participant. No such Participant shall have any right to alienate,
         commute, anticipate or assign all or any portion of any benefit,
         payment or distribution under this Plan.

                                       -9-

<PAGE>

                                  ARTICLE VIII

                        PARTICIPATING RELATED COMPANIES

8.1      Any Employer that is a Related Company and that is authorized by the
         board of directors of the Company to participate in this Plan may elect
         to participate by action of its own board of directors and by entering
         into an agreement, a copy of which shall be attached hereto and made a
         part of this Plan.

8.2      the Company may, at any time and in its discretion, determine to
         exclude any Employer from this Plan. Any Employer may similarly elect
         to withdraw its participation at any time after the expiration of the
         sixty (60) day period immediately following receipt by the Plan
         Administrator of the Employer's written intention to withdraw.

8.3      A sale or liquidation of an Employer by the Company such that the
         Company no longer owns 50% of such Employer, or the Employer is
         liquidated, the Company shall assume payment of such Employer's
         remaining obligations and liabilities under this Plan.

                                      -10-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE IX

                            MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

9.1      Nothing contained herein shall require the Company or any Employer to
         continue any Participant in its employ, or require any Participant to
         continue in the employ of the Company or any Employer, nor does the
         Plan create any rights or any Participant or Beneficiary or any
         obligations on the part of the Company or any Employer other than those
         set forth herein. The benefits payable under this Plan shall be
         independent of, and in addition to, an y other employment agreements
         that may exist from time to time concerning any other compensation of
         benefits payable by the Company.

9.2      The sole interest of each Participant and each Beneficiary under this
         Plan shall be to receive the deferred compensation benefits provided
         herein as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance
         with the terms hereof; and, neither any Participant nor any Beneficiary
         shall have any right, title or interest (legal or equitable) in or to
         any of the specific property or assets of the Company or any
         participating Employer. All benefits hereunder shall be paid solely
         from the general assets of the Company or applicable Employers and no
         Employer shall maintain any separate fund or other separated assets to
         provide any benefits hereunder. In no manner shall any property of any
         Participant or Beneficiary be used as collateral security for the
         performance of the obligations imposed by this Plan on the Company or
         any Employer. The rights of a Participant or Beneficiary hereunder
         shall be solely those of an unfunded and unsecured creditor in respect
         to the promise of the Company or Employer to make contributions to the
         Plan or to pay benefits to the Participant or Beneficiary in the
         future.

9.3      Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, the Company
         or any Employer may in its sole and absolute discretion determine and
         offset any amount to be paid to a Participant under the Plan against
         any amount that such Participant may owe to such Employer.

9.4      All benefit payments made under this Plan to any Participant or
         Beneficiary shall be subject to applicable withholding and to such
         other deductions as shall at the time of such payment be required under
         applicable federal, state, or local law. Determinations by the Plan
         Administrator as to withholding shall be bonding on the Participant and
         Beneficiary(ies).

                                      -11-

<PAGE>

                                    ARTICLE X

                               GENERAL PROVISIONS

10.1     This Plan shall constitute a plan that is unfounded and that is
         maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation
         in the form of retirement benefit for a select group of highly
         compensated employees, as determined by the board of directors of the
         Company in its sole and absolute discretion.

10.2     The laws of the State of Ohio shall be the controlling state law in all
         matters relating to the Plan and shall apply to the extent that the
         Plan is not preempted by any law of the United States of America.

10.3     If any provision of this Plan is held invalid or unenforceable, such
         invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions
         hereof and this Plan shall be construed and enforced as if such
         provision had not been included.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused the Plan to be signed, adopted and
dated this 26th day of March, 2004.

                             BIG LOTS STORES, INC.

                             By: /s/ Albert J. Bell
                                --------------------------
                             Title: Vice Chairman & Chief Administrative Officer

(Corporate Seal)

/s/ Charles W. Haubiel II
-----------------------------
Attest:

Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Title:

                                      -12-